“Are you saying that I need to use my love for her to find a way to connect with her?”
Nikura nodded once.
Zakiel rose to his feet, a feeling racing through him that he was not familiar with. It took him a few moments to recognize it as fear. Fear that he would fail Karma. Fear that the only possible way of saving her required him to do something he did not think he could do. Fear that he would not be able to do it.
He turned to Worrow. “I love this woman, but my love is so big, so deep and so intense, it’s unlike anything I have ever experienced. I don’t know how to do what must be done.”
“I think that I may be able to aid you with that,” Worrow said. He turned toward the door, opened it, and spoke to someone on the other side. “Prince Zakiel, if you will carry the Techu, we shall go to another room now.”
Zakiel slid his hands beneath her and picked her up, pulling her close against him as he bent his head to kiss her hair. Then he turned to follow Worrow, pausing for a moment as he passed Garundel. “If you like, you and Cobon can wait outside. Perhaps you can talk to whoever is in charge about our people setting up a camp somewhere nearby.”
“As you wish, Highness,” Garundel said. He bowed solemnly, placing his fist to his head, then his heart. “Our hearts are with you, and Lady Techu.”
Zakiel nodded his thanks, then followed Worrow out of the room, down the hall, and into another room, Nikura at his side. This room was without windows, lit only by dozens of flickering candles. There were strange markings on the floor, walls and even the ceiling that were unfamiliar to Zakiel, but which gave him a sense of calm and peace from the moment he stepped inside.
“Lay her down, there,” Worrow said, gesturing to the center of the room. As Zakiel did as he directed, Worrow went to one side of the room and gathered several sticks of incense which he began to light and place around the room. The scents that began to fill the air were light and soothing, which surprised Zakiel. When he was finished, Worrow sat down a few feet away from where Karma lay, and gestured to Nikura who went and sat down beside him. Then Worrow turned his attention to Zakiel.
“Prince Zakiel, you must close your eyes and relax your mind and body,” Worrow said, his voice low and gentle. “Think of nothing but your lady, feel her with your heart, see her in your mind. We will help you to guide your thoughts and energies as we can, but only you can reach her.”
“What do I do then?” Zakiel asked.
“You will know,” Worrow said with a smile. “Your instincts will guide you.”
Zakiel looked at Nikura who met his gaze unblinkingly.
Then he looked down at Karma. He took a deep breath, reached out to take her small, cold hands in his, and closed his eyes.
He pulled up images of her in his mind; Karma sparring with Kapia; Karma laughing, Karma rolling her eyes at him, teasing him, angry at him. The images began to flash through his mind faster and faster; her face in firelight, sunlight, shadowed by the faint light of the stars. But none of the images were right. They were all of Karma, but they did not connect him to her.
He shook his head slightly, and started again. He let the soothing scents fill his lungs as he breathed, relaxed his shoulders and brought out his favorite memory. Their first kiss. The one that had lasted mere moments, but would remain forever within his heart and mind, never forgotten, never ending.
He remembered the scent of her skin, the feel of her lips against his, the taste of that tiny dent that drove him mad whenever his eyes caught on it, which was every time she spoke, or smiled or frowned. The feel of her shivering beneath his hands, the sound of her breath...every detail came back to him and for a moment, he was lost within the kiss once more, the memory becoming so real that he felt his body react with heat and passion.
“Yes, as first kisses go, I think that one wasn’t half bad,” Karma said, her voice faint and soft.
“Half bad?” he asked. “I do not believe there was anything bad about it at all, except perhaps the short duration.”
Her soft, husky laugh filled his mind, but there was an undercurrent of tension. He looked around, but saw only darkness.
“Karma, how do I get to you?” he asked.
“You can’t,” she replied. “You mustn’t try.”
“I have to,” he replied. “If I don’t help you, you will die.”
“I know,” she said, her voice a soft, whispering sigh. “But Rathira cannot risk the loss of both the Techu and the Vatra. You must go back.”
Zakiel began to move toward the sound of her voice, slowly at first, hesitant in the absolute darkness. He paused when she stopped speaking, uncertain which way to go.
“I cannot risk losing you, Karma,” he said, then waited for her reply.
“I’m an off-worlder,” she reminded him with no sign of bitterness. “You will be happier with a woman of Rathira.”
Zakiel paused again when she stopped speaking. “I was angry,” he said. “I don’t even know why I was so angry. But I promise you, I did not mean what I said.”
“But it is true, nevertheless.”
“No, it is not true,” he said, moving toward her again. “I will marry you, Karma, or I shall never marry at all. That is a promise I make to you, and to myself.”
“I release you from your promise,” Karma said. “Please do not spend your life alone.”
“Stay with me,” he said. “Stay with me, and we will spend our lives and Beyond together.”
“I would if I could,” she replied, her voice softer, fainter. “You must leave now, Zakiel.”
Zakiel saw a pale glow and moved toward it as fast as he could. He was unsure how he was moving since he was not using his body, but he was afraid to think on that too much lest it pull him out of this nowhere place.
“Our souls are connected,” he said, trying to keep her talking. “From the day of the Return of the Vatra, we have been connected. What happens to you, happens to me.”
“That is not exactly correct,” she replied, and he could almost see her rolling her eyes at him. “Our souls are connected, but when I’m gone, your soul will be your own again.”
“You don’t know that,” Zakiel said, flying along a ribbon of light grew steadily brighter and brighter.
“Zakiel,” she said, “I am glad you’re here for one very selfish reason.”
“What’s that, valia?” he asked. The light began to change color, going from white to silver, and he pushed for more speed, the fading sound of her voice scaring him. Suddenly he saw a thick, black cord wrapping itself around the bright beam of silver, strangling it as it twisted and tightened like a snake wrapped around its prey.
“So that I can tell you, one last time, that I love you, Zakiel,” she said, so softly he barely heard her.
“Thank you for telling me that, Karma, but I hope it is not the last time you say it,” he said. “I love you, too.” Zakiel dove straight down at the black cord, roaring his fury. To his surprise the black cords shrank and jerked away as soon as he touched them. He heard a harsh scream of rage and pain, and smiled grimly as he attacked again, flying along the beam of light, shoving the black cords away from it. The bright silver beam was Karma’s soul, it had to be. No other soul could be so pure and bright as hers. Which meant that the black cords were the soul of the demon, strangling her. Why the cords shrank from him he didn’t know, he only knew they did.
“What’s happening?” Karma asked, her voice a little stronger. “What are you doing, Zakiel?”
“I am coming to you so that we can fight this demon together,” he said as he burst through a mountainous knot of black, wriggling cord. Then he saw her, standing in the brightest of silver light, struggling against a mass of black cords that wrapped around her from her feet to her neck.
“Zakiel,” she said softly, her eyes turning to him. He saw the fear there, and the worry, and knew that her fear was not for herself, but for him.
“Karma,” he whispered, horrified by how close she was to losing
her battle. He was disgusted by the sight of the evil blackness wrapped so closely around her bright and shining light. He flew to her so quickly that one moment he was at such a distance that he could barely see her eyes, the next he was spinning around her, faster and faster, the black cords thinning and falling away with each turn.
The roar of the demon became weaker and fainter, and Karma began fighting again in earnest, pushing against the repulsive cords that pressed against her. Within moments she was free and the black cords lay scattered around them in limp, motionless piles.
“Zakiel,” she said as he stopped before her. “Thank you.”
Zakiel shook his head. “There is no need to thank me, beloved,” he said. “You are my other half. How could I let you go?” He looked behind her at the still cords, and knew that they were not yet done.
“I don’t know how we did that, but we must destroy it completely. If we don’t, it will attack again once you are alone.”
“Look behind yourself,” she said.
Zakiel did as she said and glanced over his shoulder, shocked to see that intertwined with her beams of silver, were bright beams of blue. The moment he saw the blue beams he knew what they were. “Our souls together,” he said. “As they should be.”
“Yes,” Karma agreed. “How do we destroy the demon seed?”
“Together,” he replied, holding out one hand. She smiled and took it, and their souls merged, becoming one beam of silver and blue rather than two separate beams.
***
Worrow and Nikura sat quietly, their eyes half closed as they focused on sending all of their energies to Zakiel. They were not able to give him power, but they were able to aid in his ability to focus and go deep within himself. They knew he had been successful when Karma took a long, deep breath and the color began to return to her face. Moments later, both she and Zakiel opened their eyes and stared at each. Then Zakiel laid down beside her, pulled her into his arms, and they both went to sleep.
Worrow turned to Nikura and smiled. “Let us leave them,” he said softly.
Nikura stood and walked with Worrow to the door and out into the hall. Worrow closed the door, and Nikura laid down in front of it.
Worrow gazed down at him for a long moment, then nodded. “I will have food and water brought to you here, Nikura, so that you may keep your vigil.”
Nikura lowered his head in a graceful nod. He waited for Worrow to leave, then lowered his chin to his paws and closed his eyes with relief.
Chapter 26
The next morning Kapia, Zakiel, Karma and Nikura sat around a large table with several elders of the Sirelina. They had eaten breakfast together, made polite conversation, and observed all of the niceties, so it was time to get down to business.
“Lady Techu,” Worrow began, “the Sirelina ask how we may assist in the quest to save Rathira?”
Karma took a slow breath and looked Worrow in the eye. “Samyi, she who was Techu before me, told us that we must come here, to the Sirelina, in our search for the Moon Orb.”
Worrow nodded. “The Sirelina have been honored to guard the secret of the Moon Orb these many years. The knowledge of the Eschaton has passed into dust for many, but not so for the Sirelina. We have remembered, and kept watch.”
“The honor of the Sirelina is great,” Karma said with a deep nod.
All of the elders, and Worrow, smiled with pleasure and returned her nod with thanks. “You know, of course, that only one may claim the Moon Orb,” Worrow said, his tone confident, though Karma caught the worry in his eyes.
“Yes, we know this,” Karma assured him. “We have brought Princess Kapia, daughter of the House of Feenis for that reason. She is the last of the line of she whose essence formed the Moon Orb.”
The Sirelina all turned their eyes to Kapia, noting the set of her shoulders, the confident tilt of her chin, the gentle light in her eyes, and bowed again, this time with relief.
“I sense you are worthy of the Blood you carry,” Worrow said. “We shall be most happy to guide you to the Moon Orb, Princess Kapia.”
“Thank you, Zamon Worrow,” Kapia said, her voice clear and sweet, without any hint of her previous shyness. “We are most appreciative of all the Sirelina have offered for the safety of Rathira, and gratefully accept your further aid.”
Worrow bowed again, then turned back to Zakiel and Karma. “Only the Techu, the Vatra, and the Maiden of the Moon may venture out to the Cradle of the Orb without harm.”
“The Cradle of the Orb?” Karma asked.
“There is an island, little more than a rock, far into the ocean,” Worrow explained. “Guarding the rock is a being known as Karaken.”
“Is it a demon?” Karma asked.
“No, it is not demon, nor is it of Rathira,” Worrow replied. “Karaken was brought to Rathira by the last Vatra. In exchange for the right to dwell in the mighty Kytherian Sea, Karaken agreed to guard the Cradle of the Orb until the Maiden of the Moon, the Techu and the Vatra returned for it.”
“Are you saying this Karaken is intelligent?” Karma asked.
“Yes,” Worrow replied. “Karaken promised to leave the Sirelina in peace, and has ever kept its promise. But it does not hesitate to destroy any who approach the Cradle of the Orb during it’s time of rising.”
“Time of rising?” Zakiel asked.
“The Cradle of the Orb resides at the bottom of the sea,” Worrow explained. “It rises only twice a year, for ten days at a time. In fact, you have only three more days before it sinks to the depths for another six months.”
“That explains why everyone’s been telling us to hurry,” Karma said.
“Yes, it does,” Zakiel agreed. “What does this Karaken look like?”
“It is too large to describe,” Worrow said. “It has eight and twenty arms, lined with claws, and a head larger than this house.”
“Okay, that’s big,” Karma muttered. “How do we get to this Cradle of the Orb?”
“I know only that the three of you must enter a small boat,” Worrow said. “From there, it is up to the Maiden of the Moon.”
“What am I to do?” Kapia asked. “Do you know?”
“I am not certain,” he said slowly. “But I believe that once you are on the water, your affinity with the orb will draw you to it. I do not know if the Vatra must use his magic, or if the Techu must use the Ti-Ank. I am sorry, I have given all I know.”
“We thank you, Worrow, for all that you and your people have done, for us, personally, and for Rathira,” Zakiel said, bowing to the man. “We shall begin our journey at first light tomorrow.”
“No,” Worrow said sharply, holding up one hand. “You must not go until your bond is complete. If you do, the danger to you both is too great.”
Zakiel and Karma looked at each other, then Worrow. Zakiel smiled and shrugged. “I’ve no objection to that,” he said. “We will perform the ceremony this day and complete our bond.”
“You’re not even going to ask me what I think about it?” Karma asked, arching a brow at him.
Zakiel flushed. “I am sorry, valia,” he said. “I only...I mean, I thought...,” he paused and swallowed hard. “Have you changed your mind?”
Karma looked at the other people around the table, then decided to hell with it. She didn’t care about what anyone else heard.
“Zakiel, I love you, and you have said that you love me. I will not marry for any other reason. Not for safety, not to save my life. Only for love.”
“Nor will I, valia,” Zakiel said with a smile.
“I must also warn you that, for me, marriage is a forever thing,” she continued. “If I do or say something that you don’t like, it will be too late for you to rethink marrying an off-worlder.”
Zakiel’s brows rose in surprise. “Are there people for whom marriage is not forever?”
“Yes,” Karma replied. “I am not one of them.”
“Nor am I,” Zakiel replied, unable to understand how marriage could not be forever. Per
haps what he thought of as marriage was different than what other people did. But now was not the time to wonder about that.
“Karma, I have no idea why I said the things I said to you that day. I have no idea why I was even angry. In truth, I was glad that you stopped me when you did. I promise that I will never regret you, I will never regret us. Please believe me.”
“I believe you, Zakiel,” she said. “I just wanted to be clear.”
Zakiel nodded, then cleared his throat. “Karma Baraka, Lady Techu, will you please consent to make me the happiest man on all of Rathira, as well as in the Thousand Worlds, by agreeing to become my wife?”
Karma smiled, her eyes shining. “I would be most honored, Prince Zakiel, to join my life to yours for all time.”
Zakiel’s heart skipped a beat, and then he smiled so widely that Karma saw a hint of a dimple in his left cheek to match the one on the right. “Thank you, valia,” he said softly before leaning over to press his lips to hers. “I promise I will never give you cause to regret your decision.”
They were interrupted by a polite cough and turned to look at the people around them, all of whom were grinning at them. Karma blushed, but Zakiel didn’t care. She would be his wife. Nothing else mattered.
“We shall be wed this day, then,” Karma announced.
“There is one problem,” Worrow said.
“What is that?” Zakiel asked.
“Who will perform the ceremony for you?”
“I was hoping that you could do it,” Zakiel replied. “Is that not possible?”
“I am Zamon, the physical and spiritual healer of the Sirelina,” Worrow explained. “But I am not Zamori, a spiritual leader. I am not qualified to perform the ceremony of marriage.”
“Will your Zamori do it?” Karma asked.
“I am sorry, Lady Techu,” he said. “Our Zamori is not here. She has traveled to another village of Sirelina and will not return for many days yet.”
“We cannot wait that long,” Karma said. “We must claim the Moon Orb before it sinks back into the ocean.”
Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira Page 36